//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Wonderbolt Love // Story: The Rainbow Connection // by Locomotion //------------------------------// The next two days proved rather difficult for Rainbow Dash. She tried her best to keep her mind off Soarin, but no matter what she did, whether it was reading her favourite Daring Do novels, drawing a few sketches of some of the other Wonderbolts (something she wasn't very good at) or trotting round the racetrack, nothing seemed to alleviate the boredom and loneliness she had begun to feel. Even when she resumed training after her day off, she no longer seemed to have the same gusto that she normally did. The following Thursday, just as Spitfire had said he would, Soarin came out of the hospital wing feeling as fit as a fiddle and better. Rainbow Dash was relieved to have him back as her trainer, and throughout their training exercises that day, she performed so well that nopony would ever have known that, just a few days previously, she had been so sloppy as to warrant any downtime on her part. What everypony else did notice, however, was that when they were off duty, she didn't seem to want to leave Soarin's side for one second. Soarin himself pretended not to mind, but he too was rather confused by how strangely Rainbow Dash was behaving. Only when the two ponies had gone to relax in a quiet, out-of-the-way spot behind the barracks did he bring himself to say anything about it. “Um...Rainbow Dash,” he ventured, “have you been feeling okay the last few days?” Rainbow Dash gave her trainer an odd look. “What do you mean, have I been feeling okay?” she retorted, not quite understanding what he was talking about. “It's not as if I'd gone down with pony pox or anything.” “What? No, I don't mean in terms of health, Rainbow,” objected Soarin hastily. “I'm just...that is......well...I don't mean to offend you by any means, but you never once left me alone today. Was there anything wrong?” “As if!” scoffed Rainbow Dash, trying to play it off with a somewhat awkward smile. “I'm the top cadet of the Wonderbolt Academy; why would anything be wrong?” But deep down, she felt rather guilty for having to maintain the tough mare act. All she had wanted right now was to wrap her forelegs around him and never let go as long as she lived. But what if Soarin didn't feel the same way about her as she did him? What if her feelings for him were nothing but a lost cause? “Then why did you keep following me round the base between training exercises?” This caught Rainbow Dash completely off guard, and her reply caught in her throat as she realised that she could barely hide her thoughts from him much longer. Maybe he had already learned of her feelings from somepony else on the base – maybe his queries were merely a rejection in disguise. At this point, she could no longer hold her inner loneliness back; flinging her wings and forelegs around Soarin, she buried her face in his shoulder and, for one of the few times in her life, broke down into loud, uncontrollable sobbing as she cried into his warm, pale-blue fur. Soarin froze. He hadn't been expecting the embrace Rainbow Dash was giving him, but equally sudden was the pain in his chest that he began to feel upon seeing her so upset. The rainbow-maned mare was normally so brash and cool-headed that the last thing anypony would expect was for her to become so emotional over anything, let alone such a petty matter as how clingy she had been that day, and to see her in such a state pained him to the point where he could barely hold back tears of his own. He remembered when he had had to save her after she had pulled that muscle in her wing; the look of shame in her eyes back then had been so depressing that he had been hard-pressed to restrain himself from hugging her reassuringly. But now, secluded from all the other Wonderbolts and cadets, all he could think to do was wrap his arms around her and return the embrace, gently running one hoof through her rainbow-coloured mane. They remained that way for a few more minutes before Rainbow Dash finally resurfaced, her eyes swollen and mildly bloodshot from crying so hard. “I'm sorry, Soarin,” she murmured morosely. “What for?” asked Soarin calmly. “For smothering you the way I did,” explained Rainbow Dash. “Those last three days had been some of the loneliest I've ever had, and I just couldn't bear to be away from you any longer.” A further tear trickled down her cheek as she tried to calm herself down for what she had to say next. “I know you keep saying I'm the best flyer ever to set hoof in this Academy, but without you, I......I'm nothing. You were the one who made me who I am today, and not through promotion either; just knowing you were the one watching us from down on the ground made me feel like I could take on the world – the whole universe, even! That's why I messed up so badly when I heard you were ill; I just felt so lost without you.” At first, Soarin could only stare in amazement at the rainbow-maned mare still in his embrace. What was going through his mind right now, Rainbow Dash couldn't tell; but as she poured her heart out to him, she noticed that his eyes were starting to glisten in the moonlight. Another silence ensued for a few moments. “You...really mean it?” Rainbow Dash nodded wearily, letting out a small mumble and yet another tear in reply as she looked down at the grass with shame. But after little more than a few seconds, she felt a firm but gentle hoof trying to lift her head upwards again. With a slight reluctance, she looked back into Soarin's eyes, and was greeted with a soft, warm smile of affection. “You've no idea how long I've wanted to hear that from you, Rainbow Dash,” he whispered. “I'll be honest with you; when I first joined the Wonderbolts, getting myself a marefriend was pretty much the last thing on my mind. Being recognised as one of the best flyers in Equestria, if not the world – that was my true ambition in life, just like yours. That act of bravery of yours at the Best Young Flyers' Competition changed all that, though.” “How do you mean?” “After you saved me, Spitfire, Misty and your friend Rarity, I just felt like I owed you my life, hence why I was so quiet when we took you back to base after the competition. You were a real hero back then, and I couldn't even stop thinking about you after you left; whenever we had a training exercise, I often imagined you were flying alongside me, and I even dreamed about you a lot when I was asleep. You remember that Grand Galloping Gala you attended?” “Not something I enjoy looking back on,” admitted Rainbow Dash, “but yeah – I remember.” “Well, crazy though this may sound, that moment where you dived forward and saved that pie I'd just bought off of Applejack seemed to remind me of the heroic mare that I'd always seen in you, and that's partly what prompted me to talk Spitfire into letting you come and visit the Wonderbolt base a second time. For me, you hanging out with us was the only real highlight to an otherwise boring evening, and likewise, that dance we had at Princess Cadance's wedding was one of the best moments in my whole life.” Soarin paused, heaving a deep sigh. “To cut a long story short, Rainbow Dash......well...I've fallen for you over the years.” Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. “Really?” she gasped, unable to believe what she was hearing. Once again, the two ponies fell silent, gazing into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity before, at last, Soarin finally plucked up courage and leaned forward. Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, but froze when she felt a moist, warm sensation wrapping itself round her lips. Her heart skipped a beat as her mind finally registered what was going on – Soarin was kissing her! Dizzy with joy, she slowly closed her eyes and hugged him tightly as she returned the kiss, which went on for almost a minute before the two of them finally separated. “Oh, Soarin, that was......indescribable,” she breathed. “I'll say it was,” agreed Soarin. “I'd often wondered what a kiss would be like, but I never thought I'd get to experience it.” His soft smile then turned to a hopeful expression. “Do I take it then that you like me back?” “'Like' you?” repeated Rainbow Dash, pretending to take umbrage. “What the hay are you talking about, Soarin? I don't 'like' you.” Soarin looked a little dismayed; but just as he was about to ask what she disliked about him, Rainbow Dash suddenly flung her arms around him once again, squeezing him so tightly he almost thought he was being choked. “I LOVE YOU!!!” she squealed joyously. “Wait......seriously?” Soarin was so confused by now that he didn't know what to think. “Well, duh!” laughed an amused Rainbow Dash. “Why do you think I let you kiss me just now?” At this point, Soarin had to laugh too. “Fair point, Rainbow Dash,” he conceded heartily. He then wrapped his arms back around her waist and nuzzled the side of her neck, which Rainbow Dash fondly returned. As they came apart once again, Rainbow Dash took one of Soarin's hooves in hers. “By the way, Soarin,” she added softly, “I never did thank you for saving my life during my fourth week here.” “You've no need to thank me for anything, Rainbow Dash,” said Soarin kindly. “Being a Wonderbolt may have been my life ambition, but you alone have come to mean the whole world to me, way more than my position as second-in-command could ever have done. Heck, I don't even care if I have to give it up for your sake.” “You...you'd really forsake your spot on the Wonderbolts for me?” “Well, I'm hoping it won't come to that; but yes, I most certainly would.” “Oh, thank you, Soarin,” beamed Rainbow Dash, fresh tears starting to spill from her eyes in her happiness as she hugged Soarin for the umpteenth time that night. “I love you so much.” “I love you too......Dashie,” whispered Soarin, fondly returning the hug. Rainbow Dash sighed happily as she dozed off in his warm, welcoming embrace, the aura of their love glowing all around them. Firefly raised a hoof to her heart. “Aw, how sweet,” she cooed. “And he really meant it too,” added Rainbow Dash. “With all that training going on, we hardly ever got any time alone at first, but eventually he began inviting me to come and hang out in his suite from time to time; and when one of the other cadets tried to make me look silly in front of the others so he could gain the title of Cadet Leader for himself, Soarin refused to demote me without investigating into what had really happened. In the end, that idiot stallion was kicked out for assaulting me.” “That sure sounds pretty loyal of him,” agreed Solar Blitz. “What did you think of him calling you Dashie, though?” Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Well, up until that point, outside of you and Mom, the only other pony who had called me that was Pinkie Pie,” she replied. “I wasn't too fussed about nicknames back then, but with Soarin, it was different; I actually found it rather...well, cute every time he called me that...” But any further conversation was abruptly cut short by a knock on the front door, which Firefly got up to answer. Upon opening the door, she noticed an immaculate horse-drawn vehicle standing just outside, with four well-groomed, smartly-dressed Pegasi harnessed to it. The vehicle's spotless golden paintwork glistened in the sunlight, and the padded seating added tremendously to its luxurious appearance. Another Pegasus, a silver-coated stallion wearing a chauffeur's uniform, sat patiently in the driver's seat, and a sixth stood just in front of the doorway. “Pardon me, madam,” questioned the stallion politely, “but would I be right in assuming that I've just arrived at Rainbow Villa, Ponyville?” “Indeed you would,” affirmed Firefly, and turned back towards the hallway. “Dash, Blitz, Scootaloo,” she called into the house, “the chariot's here.” “Be right with you, honey.” “Coming, Mrs Firefly!” “Okay, Mom, we'll be right out.” The other three ponies exited the living room and made their way out to the waiting chariot. Before long, the six Pegasi had received their directions from Firefly, and were flying Rainbow Dash, her parents and her adopted daughter to the Town Hall. As the scenery trundled past their chariot at a sedate pace, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but stare vacantly into the clear, blue sky. She could just about make out the outline of Cloudsdale in the middle distance, floating majestically above the horizon, and blinked back a few wistful tears as she recalled some of her fondest foalhood memories. Looking back over the last few years since she had left her old home for Ponyville, she somehow found it hard to believe how far she had come from the clumsy young flyer she used to be. Now, not only had she gained recognition as Equestria's best flyer overall, but she had finally managed to gain her long-coveted position in the Wonderbolts, and before long, she would be spending the rest of her life with one of them. “Rainbow Dash?” The rainbow-maned mare snapped out of her reverie and turned her attention back to Firefly. “Yes, Mom?” “Is anything the matter, dear?” “Nothing,” replied Rainbow Dash; but Firefly could tell she didn't mean as much. A long pause hung over the four ponies. “Are you nervous?” Rainbow Dash gave her mother an odd look. “Nervous? Why should I be nervous?” she objected. “I'm the toughest pony in Equestria; how do you think I made it into the Wonderbolts?” “By training hard and not putting a hoof out of line?” suggested Solar Blitz innocently. Firefly rested a gentle hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder to try and reassure her, completely ignoring her husband's cheek. “It's okay to be nervous, honey,” she said softly. “A lot of ponies get that way when they're about to be married; even your father and I were a little uneasy about it.” Rainbow Dash sighed heavily. She knew her mother was only trying to help, but she felt rather ashamed of having to admit her feelings. “Well...yeah, I am nervous,” she confessed at last. “It's just such a big change, me getting......getting hitched to Soarin and all...” She broke off, trying to fight back her tears, whereupon Firefly pulled into a gentle, comforting hug. “Take it easy, Dashie,” she soothed, wrapping her arms around her daughter. “You're a big girl now; you'll be able to go ahead with it. Even if you aren't, I'm sure Soarin will understand.” Rainbow Dash paused for a few seconds, thinking it through. At last, she pulled back from Firefly and wiped her tears away completely; “No, Mom,” she insisted bravely, “I can't just turn back now that I've made it this far. If I'm tough enough to get into the Wonderbolts' team or perform a Sonic Rainboom, I'm tough enough to go ahead with this wedding, and nothing, absolutely nothing is gonna stop me.” Solar Blitz smiled broadly. “That's my girl,” he encouraged. “That's the spirit, Rainbow Dash,” agreed Firefly, smiling fondly. “You're a really brave mare, and we're really proud of you.” “Thanks, Mom,” whispered Rainbow Dash, deeply touched. “Oh yeah,” remarked Scootaloo, “that reminds me, Dash; you never did tell me how or when Soarin proposed to you.” Rainbow Dash stared at Scootaloo in disbelief. “Did I really not tell you?” “I don't think you told any of us,” affirmed Solar Blitz. “Any chance you could do so now? I know we'll be at the Town Hall in a few minutes, but still...” “Okay, Dad, I get it!” chuckled Rainbow Dash. “Well, let's see......if I remember Misty's side of the story right...”